By Lrbbu 'Tun er I Puh/;sh,d un \ · , 111 Inc B1 ,,,,, . e, ,j1 :pa Homecoming at Harding was typically a f'ull \'eekend of' familiar acti,·ities. This year, howe\'er, a traditional 5k run began a new chapter for on campus sen·ice opportunities. Andrew Baker, assistant prof'essor and director ofthe:\1itchcll Center for Leadership and ~[inistry, partnered with the kinesiology department to use the annual Bison Stampede 5k run to kick off a push for students to get invoked in fighting malnutrition. Using the "H Cffice Central" app that launched during spring 2016, tuclcnts could put their daily steps to good use. :-.lark Moore, CEO of Mother Administered :\'utriti\'e Aid (MANA). approached Baker earlier in the year to c,·aluate ways Harding could spread a,rnreness about malnutrition and encourage ·tudcnts to get invoh·cd in combatting the issue. Their discussion led to "'MA~A ~Jiles'' an initiati,·e that .·tudents could participate in through downloading the "H U Service Central"' app. The app had a pedometer, so by clicking "track'. it would monitor the number ofsteps taken. All the u er needed to do was to enable the f'cature. The goal was to get to IO million steps logged bcrorc the end of the semester. Every 2,000 steps equaled a mile's worth of ,,valking, and a packet of ~lANA was earned af"ter n·ery mile walked. '·Your steps can count Lo help somebody?" Baker said. "Sign me up. A walk across the front lawn or a run around the track - why not let those step count?" The plans for the partner. hip bct\\'cen}. fANA and Harding students did not end at the end of the semester. Baker hoped the semester's process encouraged student to pursue additional fundraising efforts of their own. The plans for the partnership did not stop at the end ofLhe school year. either. ,\ s additional incentive, the team considered the possibility of letting studcms experience fi.rst-hand ho\\' their step, ,,·c-rc helping. "Plans arc in the works to lia\'e a fc,1· students selected to tra,Tl to Africa next ummer to deli\'er the \IA:\":-\ that HU students earned through their tcps," Baker ~aid. ··~faybe the students 11·ho took the most steps [could go]. The plans still need to be \\'Orked out, but the idea is there." Cltimatcly, the point of"the endem·or ,ms to make a difference something Baker Sa\\' as a completely attainable objccti,·c. '·\L\:\"As goal is f\'C'ry] simple,·· said Baker. ·'They just want to alle,·iate malnutrition, [to] alleviate stan·ation [and tol a]b,iatc poH' rty. \\"e can knock out malnutrition. That's doable. That's a measurable thing we can do, and so mayhr thi · little app ,,·i 11 help moLirnte people." Senior Fisher\ lartin was another student who participated in ·'}.L\:'\.\ :-.Iilcs." He said he had run in other races before. but liked this one because of the great cause. "Knowing Lhat the money I ould directly be put to good use is what got me to do it,'. \lartin said. Senior Caleb Rowan participated in the run and ,ms able Lo enjoy the race with family and fi·iends because it was during Homecoming weekend. "The run was Cun mainly b cause I was able to do it with my family during Homecoming," Rowan said. "Knmring that we \\'ere doing it for a good cause made it that much better." Students, faculty and alumni run in the annual Bison Stampede 5k at Harding on Oct 28 P:11!1, z: mis u;ere encouraged to track their steps throughout the fall semester uring the Hu Service Central app. I Photo courtesy of Evan Su ell rrnge11
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